Learning to be more present like Lucy
In my little apartment, I have a big enclosed patio, which I refer to as the living space.
It has a hammock, a table, and a little seating area, the ultimate outdoor/indoor living arrangement.
I am sitting at my table with a fresh cup of ginger/turmeric tea that I have recently become obsessed with. My tablecloth is bright orange, matching the color of my chosen beverage.
I also threw a sprig of oregano in there just for flavor. Esmerelda is off in the distance with her partner, Esmerelda Number 2, jumping from branch to branch.
I love this outdoor space.
It is cloudy today, and I have been hoping for rain as it has been so dry here lately.
However, I have had visitors in my space for the past two weeks. Every day, I check on her to see how she’s doing.
Usually, when I clean, I clean all the cobwebs, but one day, I noticed a bug caught in a spiderweb, so I left it. As I write this, I witness a second big and get caught in her majestic web.
I left this spiderweb; I am not sure why.
Here, we have a lot of bugs, and she has made a vast web and catches all that dare to cross her path. Currently, she has about four little victims wrapped up into little balls.
It is as if she is daring others to come close, as her web protects her. As I am protected from the elements in my little porch.
I have no desire to remove her web, as she is always there and hard at work. Plus, it is outside and doing me no harm.
There are other spiders here as well. But this one minds her business and focuses on the task at hand, capturing her enemies.
It reminds me of life; life is so easy when we focus on what we must do in our immediate area.
She sits, waits, and captures her prey without even moving. The initial work she did, creating her web, is paying off.
Plus, because I admire her work and we have an unspoken agreement, I will allow her to continue working, and she will stay in her corner of the window.
Wouldn’t it be nice if that were how we, as humans, function?
I have my own space and do my own thing if others who are looking would just admire you for your hard work and determination. Instead, it seems like everyone has an opinion on what you are doing, how you are doing it, and, of course, why you are doing it.
Lately, I have been choosing to stay in my lane, focus on the present, and do what I love, and that is it. Let me tell you the stress of the past few weeks and what I felt from external pressures has gone away.
I seem more productive and mindful when I do not focus on others and only myself.
Also, in one of my comments, someone mentioned Alan Watts, whom I often listened to. I have started listening to him again, and it’s so good.
When I am present, all the worries seem to go away.
It is only when I begin to think about the future the dread and stress start, so when that happens, I bring it back to the present.
I look out the window at the birds and my little lady spider friend, Lucy. She stays in her corner, with the best views of the birds. I wonder if she is looking out and enjoying the view as much as I am.
Recently, I have had a new bird in my yard. I first saw them in San Carlos, and it was a one-time sighting. Then, the other day, I went to have lunch over a river and saw the same bird, and now I have two of them in my yard.
They, too, are beautiful, with a bright blue head and a long tail that looks like it is not connected to the body. It is a lovely bird. In my attempt to Google, I found about 100 other birds, but not this beautiful one.
The one thing they all have in common, and I am working on, is living in the present moment.
A blessing or a curse, birds, and spiders, I imagine, don’t have worries, such as us humans.
Maybe that is why I am so enamored by how they fly around and how Lucy sits and waits patiently for her prey to enter her web.
I am sure if she has spider babies, I will have to evacuate her, but for now, I will simply observe.
XOXO
S
“it seems like everyone has an opinion on what you are doing, how you are doing it, and, of course, why you are doing it.” This really feels true! I’m reflecting on why.
Thank you for this glimpse into your life today. Such a wonderful reminder - to be present.
Beautiful image of the Colombian skies... nice read. Not sure I could live with a big Lucy in my immediate area. I'll entertain that while still waiting for my husband to give the okay for relocating.